CVE-2017-13885 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.2 is affected. Safari before 11.0.2 is affected. iCloud before 7.2 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.7.2 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 11.2 is affected. The issue involves the "WebKit" component. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13885 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affects multiple Apple platforms and applications. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component that powers Safari, iOS web views, and various other Apple applications that utilize WebKit for web content rendering. The flaw manifests as a heap-based buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that occurs when processing malformed web content, creating an opportunity for remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability affects iOS versions prior to 11.2, Safari versions before 11.0.2, iCloud for Windows versions prior to 7.2, iTunes for Windows versions before 12.7.2, and tvOS versions prior to 11.2, demonstrating the widespread impact across Apple's ecosystem. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and represents a classic remote code execution vector that can be exploited through malicious web content without user interaction.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious website that triggers the memory corruption condition within WebKit's processing pipeline. The flaw typically involves improper bounds checking or memory management during the parsing of web content, particularly when handling complex web elements such as JavaScript, HTML, or multimedia content. When a user visits the malicious website, the WebKit engine processes the crafted content in a manner that leads to memory corruption, potentially allowing an attacker to overwrite critical memory locations and inject malicious code. The vulnerability can result in either arbitrary code execution, enabling full system compromise, or a denial of service condition that crashes the affected application. This represents a sophisticated attack vector that leverages the trust users place in web browsing activities, making it particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-13885 extends beyond simple application crashes to encompass potential full system compromise and persistent security breaches. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to affected systems, potentially leading to data theft, privilege escalation, or the installation of persistent malware. The widespread nature of affected applications means that users across multiple platforms face exposure, from mobile devices running iOS to desktop systems using iTunes or iCloud on Windows. Organizations deploying affected Apple products must consider the potential for zero-day exploitation, as the vulnerability could be actively weaponized in the wild. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity of Apple's security ecosystem, as it demonstrates the potential for attackers to bypass security mechanisms that should protect against malicious web content. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for the execution of arbitrary code and T1489 for denial of service attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13885 require immediate patching of all affected Apple products to address the underlying memory corruption flaw in WebKit. Organizations should prioritize updating iOS devices, Safari browsers, iCloud applications, iTunes installations, and tvOS systems to their latest versions that contain the security fixes. Network administrators should implement web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains and monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all Apple platforms, as the flaw affects multiple product lines within Apple's ecosystem. Security teams should monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and consider implementing additional network security controls such as web application firewalls or deep packet inspection to detect and block malicious web traffic. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of visiting untrusted websites remains crucial, as the vulnerability can be exploited through simple web browsing without requiring any special user interaction or privileges.